


Fence Crack Week 2019

by KDblack



Category: Fence (Comics)
Genre: Aiden is not a nice person, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Kally and Tanner are constantly in the background, M/M, copious Naruto references, kabedon fail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-08-20 01:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20219512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KDblack/pseuds/KDblack
Summary: Day 1 - Daddy Issues:Nicholas Cox has a thing about Robert Coste. Not a good thing.Day 2 - Aiden Dumped Me:The worst person in the world is still Jesse Coste, but Aiden Kane is a close second.Day 3 - Fateful Shonen Rivalry:Dante may not know the first thing about fencing, but he does know stories. He's read enough Naruto to know where this is going.Day 4 - Normal School Stuff Besides Sports:“Our whole lives revolve around fencing,” Nicholas says. Even with the curtain to muffle him, the words are much too loud in the still night air. “Not that I'm complaining, but we're in high school. Shouldn't we be doing other teenager stuff besides sports?”Day 5 - Kabedon:“What is happening here?” Nicholas yelps, his stupid hair fluffed up like a startled raccoon.Day 6 - And They Were Roommates:Nicholas Cox is a miracle worker. Somehow, in the space of a few weeks, he turned Seiji Katayama from a confusing and terrifying creature of ice and pure fencing skill to an actual person. Jesse has no idea how Nick managed it, but he's impressed.Day 7 - Indirect Win:Aiden is not upset. He's not. This... is all part of the plan.





	1. Daddy Issues

**Author's Note:**

> Because we all know I need even _more_ projects to juggle right now. (^w^)

Nicholas Cox has a thing about Robert Coste. Not a good thing. To give him credit, it's well-hidden. Aiden only picks up on it because he's always on the hunt for weakness. The stilted laughter and flickers of darkness in Nick's eyes draw him in. It's hilarious. His words couldn't shake Nick at all during their bout, but now Aiden can ruin the guy's day in thirty seconds.

Step one: mention Coste around Nick. The context doesn't matter. Neither do the circumstances. As soon as the topic is raised, Nick will either stop in his tracks or idle closer to eavesdrop. It's adorable.

Step two: link Coste to Nick. Again, how doesn't matter. All that's required is a connection, however forced it may be.

The best reaction he gets is from a stupid pun during a practice match. Aiden isn't even the one fencing Nick; he's standing by the sidelines, talking with Harvard, while Nick and Tanner go at each other with foils. 

“Nick's really improved,” Harvard says, his eyes glued to the curve of another boy's arms. “His technique's actually looking solid.”

Aiden laughs. It isn't the least bit forced. “Oh, yeah. He's a regular Robert Coste.”

Nick's foil wavers. Tanner scores a point. 

Harvard sighs. “Or not.”

“No, no,” Aiden assures him. “I'm sure this is all part of his strategy. There's no way Nicholas Coste would let us down.”

There's a loud rattle as Nick drops his sword. Tanner seizes the opportunity to try and get another point, but his erstwhile opponent is walking away from the match. From the salle in general. The muscles in his back are knotted and furious. Aiden watches him go, lips curving upward. 

Blood in the water.


	2. Aiden Dumped Me

The worst person in the world is still Jesse Coste, but Aiden Kane is a close second. It's not because he beat Seiji and then somehow lost to Nicholas. It's not how infuriatingly smug his smile is. It's not even how distractable he is or the way he makes it clear he's taking none of this seriously. He keeps dropping his leftovers all over the salle, that's what makes him the worst.

Case in point.

“I just – I don't know what to do now,” today's garbage sobs, burying his face in someone else's jersey. Not Seiji's, thank god. 

“It's okay,” Kally says, patting him gingerly on the back.

“No, it's not! Every time I come here, I just...” A wet sniffle. “All I can think of is him!”

Tanner is hovering nearby, but his glare is less heated than usual. Perhaps that's how he shows sympathy. “You can take a break, you know. The salle will still be here when you get back.”

More sobbing. Lovely. “I can't! Coach Williams'll kick me out!”

“You're not on the team, so she won't care,” Tanner says. 

Kally glares at him, then sighs. “Look, just take a couple days to calm down. We'd all rather you come back rested than struggle through and end up crying in the salle. Have you ever tried to fence with someone in tears behind you? Believe me, it's impossible.”

Seiji snorts. Spoken like a true amateur.

“Seiji is... something else.”

They're all glaring at him, now, and Seiji has no idea why. He's clearly the victim here. As soon as he's finished his last lunge, he glares back.

“If you're not going to practice, leave.”

All three of them look at each other, then shake their heads before trooping out in some mockery of solidarity. Seiji scowls and raises his foil again. He hates it when Aiden leaves his things lying around.


	3. Fateful Shonen Rivalry

Dante's limited understanding of fencing does not keep him from concluding that the Kings Row fencing team is a disaster. Not Bobby, of course – Bobby is a flawless human being and Dante is honoured to know him. It's everyone else that's the problem. Harvard swings between a responsible captain and an unrepentant two-faced liar. Kally is killing himself trying to keep an academic scholarship on top of his fencing. Tanner has anger issues, to put it mildly. Aiden is just a mess. 

And then there's Nick and Seiji. Dante honestly has no idea what's going on there, but it involves a lot of yelling and trying to stab each other, even outside the salle. That's probably not allowed in fencing, but Dante's gotten used to it regardless. Morning classes no longer feel right without the two of them glaring and hissing like cats in the row behind him. Nick was late one day last week and Dante could hardly concentrate without his comforting cloud of angry fencer white noise. Judging from Seiji's mulish expression and the lack of pencil skritching, he wasn't the only one.

Here's the thing: Dante may not know the first thing about fencing, but he does know stories. He's read enough Naruto to know where this is going. Cold, aloof, and awkward Seiji is basically Sasuke with less murder in his backstory, and if Dante is any judge, lively and tougher-than-he-seems Nick is a dead-ringer for Naruto. The genius, focused on his own goals, pursued endlessly by the talented but neglected outcast, forming a deep and homoerotic bond which will inevitably be tested by circumstance and terrible life choices. There is a ton of drama in their future, but also the kind of powerfully emotional moments that last a lifetime and stuff. Lucky them.

If Dante were braver, he'd probably be jealous of what they have, or at least what they will have, if they continue down this road. But he's really not. His idiot neighbours grabbing each other's shirts and yelling in the hallways only cements his determination to live a quiet life and never pick up a foil unless he's passing it to Bobby.

Watching them is still exhilarating. Their battle is a rush like nothing else, even secondhand, and he needed something to fill the void now that all his classic shonen have ended. Maybe he can give them some advice, if he filters it through Bobby first. Like, 'don't abandon your friends for power', 'you can build your own family if the one you were born with sucks', and 'it is never a good plan to trust creepy snake people'.

Yeah, that sounds fun.


	4. Normal School Stuff Besides Sports

“Our whole lives revolve around fencing,” Nicholas says. Even with the curtain to muffle him, the words are much too loud in the still night air. “Not that I'm complaining, but we're in high school. Shouldn't we be doing other teenager stuff besides sports?”

“Like what?” Seiji snaps, glaring at the glowing digits of his alarm clock. 12 AM. Lovely. “Playing spin the bottle? This isn't an 80s movie.”

“I was thinking late night drinking,” Nicholas says promptly. “Or breaking into convenience stores.”

Seiji loses control just long enough to gape at the shower curtain. “That's illegal and will get us suspended from the team. Absolutely not.”

“Only if we're caught. We could go exploring. There's gotta be something cool hidden away in these old buildings.”

“Asbestos. Asbestos and dust.”

“Or a secret basement swimming pool,” Nicholas continues, undeterred. “A hidden floor walled off years ago. A still for making moonshine.”

Seiji grits his teeth. “Why are you talking about alcohol again?”

Nicholas laughs. It sends little prickles of... something down Seiji's spine. Rage, probably. “Are you seriously afraid of alcohol?”

“No!”

“It's not actually poison,” he wheedles.

“It is literally poison.” A sigh lurks at the back of Seiji's throat, waiting for a moment of weakness to escape and make him look tired. He doesn't let it. “Why are you even on about this? Weren't you the one who said you wanted to fence forever?”

“I did,” Nicholas says, going from playful to serious in less than a second. “I do.”

“Then why–”

“I have it on good authority that fencing forever isn't actually possible, so I should take advantage of my youth while it lasts and do something stupid. It's the real purpose of high school, apparently. For non-fencers.”

Goodbye, serious Nicholas. You were nice while you lasted.

“How do you know,” Seiji hisses.

“I asked Bobby.” 

There is a gaping hole in that logic. “Bobby fences.”

“He knows non-fencers, though.”

“Not well.”

For some reason this makes Nicholas snicker. “You really don't pay attention to other people, do you?”

“What's there to pay attention to?”

“Just... do me a favour. Try and see if you recognize the guys next door.”

“Fine,” Seiji huffs, rolling over so he doesn't have to look at the shadow of his roommate through the curtain. “But I'll bet you they don't know or care about me, either.”

He can still hear Nicholas grinning in the dark. “Care to put money on that?”

“No!”

The next day finds Seiji reluctantly agreeing to go explore the school buildings with Nicholas after Dante Rossi says, with a straight face, “Bobby is my best friend. I knew Seiji Katayama's full name before I learned what an épée was.”

That's a sign of some awful priorities, even for a non-fencer, but a bet is a bet.


	5. Kabedon

“What is happening here?” Nicholas yelps, his stupid hair fluffed up like a startled raccoon. His eyes jerk from Seiji's, to the arm planted beside his head, and back to Seiji's again.

Seiji scowls at him. It has very little effect, which is honestly unfair. That scowl is his main defence against social pitfalls. He would really appreciate it if Nicholas would at least pretend to be intimidated by him outside the salle. It would make things a lot less awkward between them.

“Just stop,” he says.

Technically, the request is successful. Nicholas stops trying to burrow through the wall behind him, but only because he's clearly too angry to think about running away. “Stop what? Living? Breathing? Existing in your presence?”

“Stop talking,” Seiji clarifies, leaning in to increase his intimidation factor. He has a few inches on his roommate. It should work. 

It does. Nicholas' mouth snaps shut. He looks up at Seiji with wide eyes, lips slightly parted. His hands, raised to – probably try and punch Seiji or something – hang in midair, trembling. His hair is still all fluffy and soft-looking. The effect is –

He looks –

Seiji jerks himself backwards, cheeks burning, and growls audibly. Great. Now he's forgotten what he was trying to confront his stupid, not-handsome, not-cute roommate about in the first place. This is the last time he takes advice on confronting people from literally anyone.

“Bobby Rodriguez doesn't know what he's talking about!” Seiji yells, and flees the scene.


	6. And They Were Roommates

Nicholas Cox is a miracle worker. Somehow, in the space of a few weeks, he turned Seiji Katayama from a confusing and terrifying creature of ice and pure fencing skill to an actual person. Jesse has no idea how Nick managed it, but he's impressed. Impressed, and a little envious. Not of Nicholas, of course – of Seiji.

It's not fair. Jesse wants a cute roommate to tease and fight with and have aimless conversations with through a shower curtain. When he says as much to his teammates, they all give him weird looks. The same weird look, even. Either they're holding some kind of support group or they're developing a hivemind.

“Not Nicholas, though.”

“Well, of course not,” Jesse says agreeably. “He's already Seiji's cute roommate. Have you seen those two? Nobody's gonna get between them. And anyways, people aren't trophies. You can't win a person in a fencing match.”

The response is always the same: “Don't say that where Seiji can hear you.”

Jesse takes this advice to heart. The next time he drops by Kings Row, he slings his arm around Nick's shoulders and says, “It's too bad you can't win a person like a trophy. I'd fence Seiji to get a roommate like you,” as loudly as he can.

The entire fencing team snarls at him. Seiji glares a hole through Jesse's head. Nick has some kind of mental and verbal meltdown and pretty much stops working entirely. It's amazing. 

“Yeah,” Jesse laughs, “definitely a shame.”


	7. Indirect Win

Aiden is not upset. He's not. This... is all part of the plan. Repeatedly losing to Nicholas Cox, professional idiot, who is still incapable of remembering how to stand properly half the time, is indispensable from his overall strategy. Aiden's still going to make the team, still going to crush everyone in his way, still going to stand at the top of the world with the only one who matters. As long as he's sharp enough, he'll cut through anything.

Harvard, though... he's soft. He's always been soft. Even when they were kids. Aiden distinctly remembers being a heartless little monster, but Harvard was always as kind as he is now. He's just gotten sneakier about it. As soft as he is, Aiden can trust Harvard to take care of himself. He may never be ruthless, but he is pragmatic. That's more than some can say.

In some ways, Aiden's glad he lost to Nicholas instead of Seiji. Beating Seiji proved something – not just to the onlookers, but to Seiji himself. What, exactly, Aiden isn't sure yet, but Seiji is so wrapped up in it that he's choking. Losing to Aiden tightened the rope around his neck. Seeing Aiden lose to Nicholas, whom Seiji has thoroughly dismissed...

A rope can only get so tight before it snaps.

Going into this, Aiden suspected he'd find something soft in Seiji. You can't be that sharp without being brittle. He also suspected he'd find softness in Nicholas, and he wasn't wrong. Aiden just didn't expect the razor blades hidden underneath. He tried to treat Nicholas like a raw, squishy heart and sliced himself open on the shards of a mirror. Funny how that works.

Aiden will be disappointed if Nicholas makes the team. It's been a while since he found someone who could shrug off his mind games so easily. He'd be fun to play with. And unlike some people, he wouldn't make a fuss when Aiden cut him loose. Somehow, he thinks Nicholas is used to being left behind. Maybe that's why he clings to Seiji so tightly, as if he could keep the boy nationally ranked number two from flaking apart. 

He's going about it wrong. His hands aren't gentle enough. He's just going to make it worse. Aiden thinks of Harvard's warm smiles and the bags under his eyes, compares them to Seiji's rigid back and thin, hard mouth, and shakes his head.

The problem with soft people is that they don't last long in this world. Their lives are hard enough without you getting your dirty fingerprints all over them.


End file.
